John Davis’s Birth Story

It was almost a week past my due date and I had tried (unsuccessfully) every old wives tale in the book to naturally induce labor: walking, squatting, lunging, even eating eggplant parmesan from a famous Italian restaurant in Atlanta that practically guarantees you a “Scalini’s Baby”. You name it, I had tried it. I had been in full on nesting mode for weeks now and I had the house immaculately clean from top to bottom. Our bags were packed and waiting, the teeny tiny newborn clothes (that you wouldn’t fit into) were washed in Dreft detergent and were neatly organized in your beautiful nursery where I had spent so much time wondering when you would be here and what you would be like. All the essential baby gear was put together and sat empty just waiting for you to arrive. I had even gone as far to pressure wash our entire driveway and back porch (much to Hubby and Mother’s disapproval) on my actual due date. A sight I’m sure our neighbors still talk about to this day. Needless to say, I was more than anxious to meet you and had done everything possible to prepare and keep myself busy until you arrived.

The date was Wednesday, March 16, 2016. We woke up more than excited because today was the day we were supposed to report to the hospital for induction if I had not yet gone in to labor. I can still remember sitting in bed that morning, talking with Hubby about how this was the very last morning we would wake up in our house just the two of us. It felt surreal. We had been given instructions to call the hospital around 5:00 PM that day to see if a bed was available and to receive a time to come on in.

It was a relaxing day at home and the weather was unusually beautiful for March. We went on a walk around the neighborhood (still hanging onto hope that I may go into labor naturally), watched a movie, and tried to rest as much as possible. By about four that afternoon we were getting anxious and I convinced Hubby to call the hospital “just to see” if they could tell us anything. “Now?!” I heard him say. They had a room for us and told us to come in as soon as we were ready. I ran upstairs and showered and before I knew it we were on our way to the hospital!

We arrived at the hospital a little after 5 PM, went through registration, and were settled into L&D room B6 by about 6:30 PM. From here on out, things seemed like a whirlwind. I got changed into a gown, signed what seemed like a million papers, got an IV started, had blood drawn and had an ultrasound to confirm that baby boy was in fact still head down (he was!). Mother and Daddy, as well as my Grandmother who was in town for the birth, stopped by the hospital and Hubby picked us up some take-out dinner from Chili’s across the street.

We had both prayed for the medical staff that would be caring for us during our hospital stay, and the nurses that took care of us during Labor and Delivery exceeded all expectations. Our nurse for the night was Stormy and she was a blessing. She was as sweet as could be and made us feel completely at ease. We later found out that she hand-picked the very “best” day shift nurse, Sammi, to take care of us the following day. Sammi would turn out to be such a God-send.

Stormy came in later that night to administer Cervadil to help jumpstart the induction process, but she made a call to the midwife who ultimately decided against it. I was already having mild contractions and was 2-3 centimeters dilated, so the decision was made to let me rest for the night and to start Pitocin bright and early at 5AM the next morning.

Between the excitement and nervousness, as well as the horribly uncomfortable bed, I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I tossed and turned all night and found comfort only in the wishing sound of the heartbeat on the monitor next to me. Hubby slept just fine, by the way.

It was the morning of March 17, 2016. St. Patrick’s Day. Stormy came in the room at 4AM to wake me up, but I was already awake. I took a quick shower and the Pitocin was infusing by 5 AM. I started having strong, regular contractions immediately. So much so that the nurses had to keep alternating between low-dose Pitocin and turning the Pitocin off altogether because I was having contractions too close together. Things seemed to be moving quickly, and the nursing staff predicted we would have a baby in our arms by early afternoon (boy were they wrong). Mother, Daddy and my Grandmother arrived quickly after hearing this news, as they were too excited to wait around at home.

The midwife, Jodi, came in to check my progress just before 9AM. I was now 6 cm dilated. She decided to break my water and recommended I go ahead and get an epidural, as contractions would become much more intense after my water broke. She was right. The contractions become more intense and more painful. By the time the anesthesiologist arrived I gladly welcomed an epidural.

While things had moved rather quickly throughout the morning, they seemed to really slow down a bit at this point. We anxiously waited and waited, watched HGTV reruns, and I even dozed off for a quick nap. I was awakened by multiple nurses running into the room telling me to get onto my side as the baby’s heartrate was dropping too low during contractions. The position change helped, but it scared me enough that I stayed wide awake the rest of the day, carefully listening to the sound of the heartbeat on the monitor.

We were now nearing 4 PM that afternoon. Even though I was just about fully dilated, the baby did not seem to be dropping as he should and it was determined that he was “sunny side up,” meaning he was face up instead of face down like he should be. The nurses had me constantly rotating positions to facilitate helping him drop and hopefully help him turn facedown as he should. We constantly alternated between each side, changed the bed to an upright chair position (deemed my “queen” position), and even got on all fours while rocking back and forth. That was no easy task considering my lower body was completely numb, but I would try anything to help get this baby here!

I was 10 cm dilated by the 5 o’clock hour but we were still waiting for baby boy to drop a little lower into the birth canal.

Around 7:30 PM Sammi came in the room and said it was time to push. So we started to push. And push, and push, and push. After about an hour of pushing we started trying to push in different positions. Back, sides, and on all fours. It seemed to take all my strength just to hold my numb body up on all fours while also trying to push.

This went on for over three hours and I was becoming physically exhausted. A little after 10 PM things took a scary turn and it was obvious that the baby was in too much distress. I could see the fear in Hubby and Mother’s faces even though they tried to put on a brave and reassuring face for me. I repeatedly prayed to God to get our baby here safely.

An emergency C-section would be the safest way to deliver the baby, and before I knew it there was a new flurry of staff in the room and I was being prepped for surgery. Part of me felt relief – I just wanted to deliver the baby the safest way possible at this point. But I was also scared, I was disappointed, and I was beyond exhausted.

I was wheeled down the hall to the OR suites at 10:50 PM, and I was laying on the table having my giant belly scrubbed down by 10:55. Working in the medical field, the OR felt weirdly comfortable. I can remember making small talk with the anesthesiologist and trying to ignore the beeping sound of my own vital signs on the monitors behind me.

The anesthesiologist told me that I was about to feel a ton of pressure and he was right. It was the weirdest sensation. I felt so much pressure and tugging I thought I would come right off the OR table. Come to find out, baby boy’s head was so stuck and suctioned in the birth canal that Dr. Eaccarino had a very hard time getting him out (for lack of better terms).

“John Davis” Freeberg was born at 11:07 PM. Tears streamed down my face as I heard his sweet cries from over the curtain. It was the best sound in the world.

Hubby also had tears coming down his face and I kept asking him, “What does he look like?” Hubby kept telling me over and over again how beautiful he was and that he looked like Uncle Lane (my brother). I could hear the nurses over the curtain telling me how long he was and how big and cone-shaped his head was (ha!) from being “stuck” for so long.

He was right. While John Davis was being assessed by the nurses, I first saw my son’s face via a cell phone photo. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And even though I was just seeing him for the first time, I remember feeling as though I had always known what he looked like. The sweet sound of his cries were music to my ears and in no time Hubby came proudly walking over to me with our swaddled up newborn. I felt a sense of happiness, peace, and love like nothing I had ever known before.

Hubby and John Davis were taken to the recovery room while I finished up in the OR. It wasn’t long, but it felt like eternity to me. I was wheeled to recovery just as John Davis was finishing up his very first bath.

He was perfect. All 8 pounds 5 ounces and 22 inches of him was absolutely perfect. The nurse brought him to me and holding my newborn baby felt like the most natural thing in the world. I took in every ounce of his tiny body. I remember his heavenly newborn smell, every detail of his perfect face down to the little pores on his skin, his fuzzy hair, his hands and feet that were dry and cracked from being past due, and even his fingernails that were so long they already needed cut. We tried breastfeeding and he latched right on. I swear the boy was born hungry!

Our family was in the waiting room and received updated pictures from Hubby, as well as updates from Dr. Eaccarino and our nurse Sammi. My family thanked Dr. Eaccarino and told Sammi what a blessing she had been during a long and scary day. Come to find out, she had also been praying for us at the bedside during the scary moments that lead up to an emergency C-section.

We were finally headed up to our postpartum room just after 1:30 in the morning. I can remember Hubby beaming as he proudly pushed John Davis in the bassinet down the hall to room 2W27.

Mother and Daddy were waiting on us outside the door (they finally forced my Grandmother to go home at some point in the night) and I was so proud for them to meet their very first grandchild.

We were all exhausted but on cloud nine.

After everyone had gone home, hubby was asleep on the cot and John Davis was sleeping so soundly all swaddled up in his bassinet next to my bed. He looked like an angel. I couldn’t stop staring at him and I was mesmerized by just how perfect he was.